Former Florida Tech Basketball Standout Derek Murphy Signs Professional Contract with Detroit Hustle

By  //  April 25, 2021

Murphy had double-double on 31 points and 10 rebounds in first game

Former men’s basketball standout Derek Murphy signed his first professional contract with the Detroit Hustle of The Basketball League. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Former men’s basketball standout Derek Murphy signed his first professional contract with the Detroit Hustle of The Basketball League (TBL).

Murphy, who hails from Detroit, Michigan, signed with his hometown TBL team a few weeks ago.

He has appeared in four games so far with the Hustle and is averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from the field.

In his most recent outing for Detroit, Murphy registered a double-double on 31 points and 10 rebounds against the Owensboro Thoroughbreds on April 18.

The Basketball League is made up of 29 teams across the U.S. and features players from all three NCAA Divisions and NAIA, including a couple of familiar faces from the Sunshine State Conference.

Florida’s TBL team, the Tampa Bay Titans, features former Tampa Spartan Marcel Robinson, while Owensboro’s starting point guard is former Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish Darhius Nunn.

Murphy was a dynamic player and five-year member of the Florida Tech men’s basketball program from 2015-2020. He was forced to redshirt the 2017-18 season due to injury.

During his time in Melbourne, Murphy appeared in 91 games with 75 starts and finished with career totals of 1,393 points and 556 rebounds for an average of 13.79 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

A 2019-20 Division II Bulletin Preseason All-American and two-time All-SSC Second Team selection, Murphy ranked top five in the league in scoring, rebounding and minutes played in each of his final two seasons with the Panthers.

He was the SSC scoring champion as a redshirt junior in 2018-19 with 23.9 points per game while also ranking third in the league in rebounding (8.2) and first in minutes played (36.8).

His scoring average that season stands as the third-highest single-season scoring average in program history.

“I’m very excited for Derek to have this opportunity to be back on the court playing the game he loves,” exclaimed Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims.

Despite missing the first four games of his redshirt senior season in 2019-20, Murphy ranked fifth in the SSC in scoring (20.3), fourth in rebounding (8.3) and second in minutes played (36.7). He scored a career-high 44 points on 15-28 shooting, including 7-12 beyond the arc, in a win over Eckerd on January 8, 2020.

Murphy tallied double-figure scoring in 50 of his final 51 games donning a Crimson and Gray uniform and recorded 20 double-doubles over his final two seasons.

“I’m very excited for Derek to have this opportunity to be back on the court playing the game he loves,” exclaimed Florida Tech head coach Billy Mims.

“He is one of the hardest-working players that I’ve ever coached, especially when it comes to working on his physical strength and conditioning. He definitely blessed with a pro body built for professional life.

“Derek had an outstanding career here at Tech. I know that if it weren’t for the timing of the pandemic, which hit right at the end of his college career, he would have had many more pro opportunities come his way.”

Murphy and the Detroit Hustle are back in action on April 23 with a home game against the Columbus Condors.

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